The Chapel (Vityaz)

"Then show me the best you've got. Need some anit-freeze of you've got it. Looking for a Universal Sharpener too. Any other weapon mods would be appreciated." Kes said finally walking up to the QM after going to collect his caps. No way was he going to walk around with 30,000+ caps on a battlefield.

Winter once again gave a flat look as the dog licked her. "Eww" was all she said as she rubbed the side of her face. She stepped back and looked to Trails, "I'm going to need a bath soon" she sighed as she took out a cloth, rubbing her face with it before putting it back into her satchel. She looked to Trails, "So, where too now?" she asked, wondering if there was something they needed to do, or if there was anything they could do to at least pass time.

"We could go for a drink if you like," Trails started. "or there's this one buck who does his best to make the MREs taste like actual food, or if you want you can go on and check on all the ponies in the MASH, I'm sure they'd be glad to have the help. And I could take Brutus back to the Chapel," the dog cut in with a bark that his owner seemed to decide ignoring was the best option, "if you chose that."

Winter thought about what they could do, but from Trails' mouth came the obvious answer. They should go into the MASH and make sure they were ok over there. "Let's go see if MASH needs help" she said finally before raising an eyebrow at Brutus before looking to Trails, "What did he say?" she asked, resisting the urge to ask how he even knew and to ask herself how she was even believing it.

Trails decided to lie, using his big war dog as an excuse. "That he's tired and going home sounds like a good idea, so go on ahead while I take him back." he then started to walk back to the old building a clearly dissatisfied Brutus trailing behind him. "Tell Zesty I said hi will you, y'know make sure she's ok."

Winter offered a sympathetic look as he spoke. She was about to let him walk away when she stopped him, placing a hoof on his shoulder. Her expression softened by held a firm edge as she asked, "Trails, are you ok?" she asked, making an obvious hint at what happened between him and Zestari. She had thought to ask him earlier but it hadn't seemed right. But not, she wasn't so sure that the big buck wasn't still hurting.

"Whatcha mean? The plasma burns, they're only surface I'll be fine." Trails answered, running a hoof nervously through his mane. "Just you know, Brutus is tired," again the wolf interrupted with an angry woof, which he again ignored, "and he should get to bed."

Winter wasn't buying it. As a Doctor she had been lied to many times and had gotten used to seeing it on ponies faces. She tilted her head as she gave a sympathetic look, "Trails" was all she said, prompting him to the obvious at what they both knew was the real subject matter.

Trails let out a sigh. "I love her. She's not the first mare I've ever thought that about, but she is the first that I've known that. The past few months have been an exercise in denial, with me lying to myself about whether or not I ever even really meant it. So no, I'm not ok. The mare of my dreams is a hundred yards away but she might as well be on the other side of the fucking wasteland."

Winter listened as she watched him, her amethyst eyes studying the buck as he spoke. She let out a breath when he finished and gave a small reassuring smile as she spoke, "You need to tell her how you feel" she said, expecting him to simply reply with 'No', that was the usual response, but she said it anyway and meant it. "This will just eat you up inside if you don't" she finished as her expression shifted to one that was more sad for him. She could only imagine how it might feel to love some pony who might not feel the same way.

"I don't think I can...I don't know...how." Trails half mumbled, lowering his head to avoid the small mare's gaze. "I wish I did, I really do. Besides, not like it'd change anything." He swallowed as his throat became dry, his eyes shining wet. "I've lost her, with one moment of stupidity where I let the buck I used to be take the reigns."

Winter leaped forward, wrapping her hooves around the buck as she held him close, closing her eyes as she comforted him. In that moment an old ghost of what happened in Fillydelphia flashed across her vision, and suddenly she knew what to say. "Trails, it's not too late" she began as she eased back so she could look at him, swiping a hoof under his eye to swat a stray tear.

Her own throat was beginning to dry as her heart went out to him in that moment, but she held strong for him, to help him through it. "Who we were and who we used to be can't be a reflection on who we are. If we all looked at our past as condemning acts for our future we would never strive to do better" she said as she smiled, "It's the choices that we make now that define who we are Trails, and if you choose to love her still... then you choose to keep fighting for her." she said and sighed.

"It's not lost until you know how she feels" she said taking a pause before she continued "So, Sergeant... what are you going to do about it?" she asked, her voice hardening slightly.

Kestrel looked over the bucks inventory. Not much aside from what he'd requested...but that's work just fine. Pulling out the caps he'd need Kestrel smacked them down and pointed towards what he wanted and gave a quick grunt.

"5 boxes of ammo. A Sharpener. Three units of Anti-freeze."

Without hesitation the QM gave the griffon what he asked and took his caps.

With a nod Kes walked off and secured his funds once more. After that he had little to do except work on his gear. He didn't feel like it at this point in time however.

His burns were still itching a bit so he decided that before he went and settled down into maintenance mode he'd go for a bit of a walk. Maybe walk over to MASH and see how the battle went in Milk Run.

At first Trails didn't know what to do when Bell pulled him into a hug. He froze as he struggled to fight back the emotion that decided to suddenly pour itself out for all the city to see. After a few seconds, though, his mind caught back up and returned the hug as she spoke. He shook slightly as a lone tear crept from his eye.

Winter was slightly thrown by that. Never in her time of knowing Trails had she ever heard him admit he was scared. Just earlier he had been fighting Enclave as though he was playing with foals. Though if his statement had bothered Winter, no one would have known. She gave a pause as she thought before speaking again, "You should be" she began, "Any day now, the Enclave might decide to make a push and kill all of us. Or we could die in the field without ever making a real difference to this war" she took another pause, looking away for a minute before looking back to Trails, "So you tell me what will bring you more peace, giving up and possibly dying having never known the truth... or knowing and possibly adding another reason to keep you fighting" she said, giving him her most serious of looks, "If you give up now, then what are you fighting for?" she asked.

Trails swallowed did his best to blink his eyes dry. This whole 'emotions' thing was getting old fashioned, he missed being pissed off, that was an easy emotion, he knew how to be that. He didn't know this though, this weird sort of agony that stabbed at him every time he thought of her face, he blamed the lack of drinking. Bell's pep talk didn't fall on deaf ears, but he still found himself paralyzed by the very idea of talking to Zesty. He ached for her, but at least that ache was still something, he needed that something. It let him know she was still there, and in a weird way helped.

Winter had fully expected this and placed a hoof on his shoulder as she smiled sympathetically, "Then you saddle up and carry on, biting through the pain and being the best friend you can be to her. Of course you'll still continue to fight for her even though it's never going to be enough for you. And in time, maybe she might feel that way again" she said before she sighed, looking off to stare at something as she spoke, her hoof returning to her side, "But sitting here pretending to ignore it will only lead to more hurt and it wont bring her back" she said, turning to look at him, "This is one long road you have to walk, just make sure you walk it before it's too late" she finished.

Brutus tilted his head, confused at what was playing out in front of him. First he thought he was being a dick about going back home to avoid that purple mare he used to date, he didn't really care about that. She was annoying, never throwing his tennis ball like this new nice mare did, let alone buying him a new squeaky one. He liked the squeaky one, it squeaked. Then he started talking about somepony named Zesty, only adding to the wolf's confusion.

It quickly became apparent that this 'Zesty' was another mare, though his earth pony friend seemed to care about her a damn sight more than that purple one. His confusion took on a new level and flavor, why the hell was he upset about her? He couldn't imagine Trails losing any claim of dominance over a mate, after all the buck was about as strong as warriors got. Numerous times the wolf had seen him take out entire packs of flying ponies. What came next shocked Brutus out of his confusion, they actually cried. This was serious, he needed to say something.

"Do you love her or not?" Brutus barked.

Trails quirked an eyebrow and looked to his big war dog. "What?"

"Do you, or do you not, love her?"

"Course I do, I said I did didn't I?"

"Well the what's the fucking hold up?" the wolf's bark started to take an almost condescending tone. "What have you contracted the bitch flu or something, I mean damn. If you mean what you're saying then why not fucking act on it, and don't give me that 'I'm scared' bull shit. You are Happy goddamn Trails, you don't get to be scared."

Trails laughed a little at his wolf's peptalk and cracked a lopsided smile. Part of him wondered what Bell thought about his back and forth with his dog, sure she'd say something eventually. "I guess you're right, both of you. I'll think about it.

Winter watched the exchange between Trails and Brutus with a slight frown. 'Ok this is too much now' she thought to herself before she pointed a hoof to Trails, "How is it you know what he's saying... can you speak dog or something?" she asked with a slightly 'weirded out' expression.

"Yes and no." Trails said after a moment of consideration. "I can't exactly speak it, like barking and howling and such, but I can understand most of it. Brutus got tired of having to sign me stuff so he made me learn it. Longest three months of my life." he paused to chuckle and scratch the wolf behind the ears. "But I'm glad I did now, makes figuring out what he wants a lot easier."

Winter felt like flailing her hooves at how none of that made any sense what so ever and how no one else had ever questioned this. She simple sighed and resigned herself to the fact that this was likely something she wasn't going to figure out, "Ok well, weirdness aside, we should probably go check in on MASH" she suggested, half because it was what they should do, and half because she kinda hoped it would give Trails and Zesty a chance to speak, providing her Zebra friend had time to talk.

Trails let out a sigh and nodded. "I guess, but..." he searched for a moment and found that nothing would come. He still absolutely petrified, afraid of the rejection. No not just the rejection, but the lTss. Even now, with his chest tied in knots of guilt fear and desire, he still had something. Still felt something. What scared him most of all was losing her entirely, to the point that even he didn't feel anything anymore when he saw her. "Just, thanks Bell."

Winter smiled, "It's what friends are for" she replied simply before turning to walk away. As she trotted she pulled out the squeaky toy and gave it a squeak, "Ok Brutus, you better be ready for this one, it's going to go far!" she teased as she prepared it in her magic. They would arrive at the MASH shortly.

Trails nodded curtly and began following Bell off to the Mash. Brutus passed both of them as he ran after the ball, his tongue flapping wildly in the wind. He may have looked calm, or maybe resigned to what he was doing, but inside he was all nerves. Countless scenarios played out in his head, each worse than the last. Of course because his brain was an ass the only one that didn't crop up was it all working out. No way in hell would it all work out, he wasn't that lucky.